A Cold Winter's Night
by wingedauthoress14
Summary: "You're gonna catch your death of cold if you do that, you silly girl," his voice murmured softly in her ear as he bent down to pick her up.


A/N: Hello people of fanfiction! Just so you know, this is my first Eden of the East fanfic so I hope it isn't too shabby. Please R&R!

It was a late winter's night when Saki woke to find herself alone in Takizawa's bed. He had been away for the better part of a month doing work for Nobliese Oblige so it came to no surprise that he wasn't there. Nevertheless, as her consciousness recognized the flat, cold sheets on the other side of the bed, a feeling of longing and loneliness settled in her heart like small stones sinking in a stream.

She rose from the bed and, now restless, strode to the window on the opposite side of the room. She wanted nothing more to do with that empty bed tonight.

She grasped the curtains that had been pulled in front of the window and flung them to the sides. The moon was in its half stage and cast the world into a silvery chill, giving the snow that blanketed the world below a pearl blue tinge. She sat on the wide ledge and opened the window noiselessly.

The cold was instant as it hit her face and hands. It swirled around her midnight blue, long sleeved nightgown and made goose bumps rise on her legs, which were unprotected from the chill. As the icy wind swept through the room, rustling her hair and nightgown, she recalled when she had been a small child. She would wait until everyone in the house had gone to bed and would open wide the window to her room. She loved the bite of the cold and the chilly, icy smell of snow as it fell from the sky.

She had only been caught doing this once. Her father, feeling the draft of cool air beneath her bedroom window, found her half asleep nodding off to the lullaby of the wind coursing through bare, black branches and the silent orbit of her celestial friends.

She smiled, remembering the harsh talk her father gave her, telling her she would get sick if she slept by the open window and that she could have even fallen out and hurt herself, even though the window was too small for her to slip through accidentally.

There was an excitement, a quivering in her stomach that only occurred during the winter months. She would stare up at the sky, watching the stars in their endless succession across frozen blackness. When it snowed, she would hold a hand out the window and try to catch snowflakes before they hit the ground.

Tonight, no snow fell. She curled up on the cold wood of the window ledge, watched only by the stars. She stared up at them, her past fascination lost in a rush of loneliness. She laid her head on the wood of the window pane, her heart feeling as cold as the air that slowly picked its way through the warm room.

She must have fallen asleep at one point because the next thing she knew, a warm, heavy jacket was being carefully draped across her shoulders. That smell… she breathed in deeply and smelled the oily brown leather of the jacket- his jacket. She opened her eyes, astonished. Though she felt the warmth of the coat and looked straight into his onyx eyes, she couldn't believe he was here. He met her surprised stare with a soft smile.

"You're gonna catch your death of cold if you do that, you silly girl," his voice murmured softly in her ear as he bent down to pick her up.

"You're back?" Saki asked softly, carefully, as though the question would for sure lead to an answer she did not want to hear. He nuzzled her softly as he walked back to the bed.

"I'm back," he answered, assuredly, holding her tightly. "I'm here, love." He felt a rush of joy and comfort when he felt her hug him back hard. He knelt down and set her down on the bed, but her grip didn't loosen.

"What is it?" he asked, his hand petting the back of her hair, the rosey locks still cold from the wintry night.

"For how long?" she asked, her words mumbled and her head bowed. "How long will I have to wait for you to come back next time?"

Surges of guilt swept through Takizawa and he pulled her close once more, one hand on the back of her head, the other on the small of her back, holding her to him.

"I'm so sorry, Saki," he said softly, murmuring into her sweet smelling hair. "I never want to leave you. If I had it my way, I would be with you always. I will stay for as long as I can, then I'll stay for longer," he pulled away, and put a hand under Saki's chin so she would look up at him. "I love you, Saki."

The unshed tears in Saki's eyes were cold when they fell down her cheeks.

"I- I love you too, Takizawa," she swallowed hard, her heart pounding. She felt a hot blush spread on her cheeks despite the cold air still coursing through the window. Her heart jumped with happiness when he smiled at her before holding her close once more.

"I will always be here to take care of you," he kissed her hair then looked at her, ivy green and onyx grey meshing together. "Remember that, okay?" As she nodded, he moved closer to her, putting his hands on the sides of her face. His lips touched hers and he silently marveled at how soft and warm her lips were. She surprised him by kissing him back and wrapping her arms around his neck.

After a moment, the two broke apart, wordless. Saki gave him a small smile and quietly said:

"I've been wondering when we'd get to that part. It's one thing to have me sleep here- but kissing me took forever to get to," Takizawa gave an exuberant laugh.

"Then let's make up for lost time, shall we?"

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><p>AN: Thank you to everybody who read! Feedback is always appreciated and constructive feedback, even more so. Thanks again for reading!

-wingedauthoress


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